Mail-marker.



0. H. SMITH.

MAIL MARKER.

APPLIOATION FILED I'EB.27,1914.

1,107,630, Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

tHE NOR/ws r-ErERS Co.. PHo1n-Llrr40.wAsmN1ruN. ILC.

OLIVE-R I'I. SMITH, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

MAIL-MARKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A110218, 1914.

Application filed February 27, 1914. Serial No. 821,359.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Onivnn H. SMrrH, citizen of the United States,residing at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in lVIail-Markers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the general subject of mail-markers, and hasspecial reference to a hand device that is particularly designed for thecancellation of postage stamps, or aflixing the postmarks. i

Hand stamps of various types are now 1n use for marking pieces of mailmatter, and accomplish their functions in a more or less satisfactorymanner. However, the increased volume of work imposed upon the postalservice due to the establishment of the parcel post and also theincreased general use of the mail as a transmitting agent, necessarilyinvolves means for facilitating the manual handling thereof. Cancelingmachines solve the problem of disposing of flat pieces of mail, but theycannot quickly mark and cancel envelops, packages, or boxes of irregularshapes and sizes. Thus, all of such matter, which embraces all mailablearticles other than first class, including parcel post packages, must becanceled by hand. Most of the portable hand stamps that are now used forthis purpose are of the type that perform their work by a downwardthrust upon the package, which, if of flimsy material, does not furnisha solid surface for the stamp to make a good imprint upon. Then too, theforce of the blow may crush the package or contents, and thereby workother damage, aside from not providing a clear distinct postmark orproper cancellation.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide anovel, simply constructed, and consequently inexpensive marking-rollerdevice which will fulfil the requirements of the postal service, andgreatly facilitate the handling of mail matter without the objectionspreviously noted.

Janother object is to so arrange the parts of the device that the stamproller will always be pro-vided with ample ink on its printing surface,without pressing the same onto a separate inked pad between eachimprint. This feature is one of great importance inasmuch as it savestime by supplying ink to the roller without resorting to an inked padwhich is often removed from the direct line of work or at one side ofthe operato-r. Further, in this connection it may be said that thepresent device provides for evenly and fully distributing the ink overthe entire printing surface of the roller Without over-feeding, therebyinsuring a clear, clean-cut imprint from the stamp. at all times.

4 AI further object of the invention is to provide a substantialconstruction which will readily withstand` the wear of exacting andheavy service conditions, at the same time however, being arranged topermit ready disassembling for making repairs, and also arranged so thatthe inking roller may be resupplied with inking fluid without beingremoved from the frame. l

With the above and other objects in View which will more readily appcaas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partshercinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which-- t Figure l is a perspective viewof the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail side elevation showingthe positions of the printing roller and the inkin g roller when thedcvice ino-ves in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a view similarto FigQ showing the relative positions of the rollers when the device ismoved in the opposite direction. Fig. el is an enlarged detail sideelevation of the device showing how the inkinor roller may be resuppliedwith ink without being removed from the f -ame, and Fig. 5 is a detailplan View showing the roller supporting frame.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention lightness and strength are embodied to thebest possible advantage, and accordingly to this end a supporting frameF is employed of light strong metal. This supporting frame preferablyconsists of the frame members 1 and 2 each of which includes a handleportion 3, arranged side by side and bent outwardly at one end as at ll,and then forwardly to form the carrier arms 5. The said handle portions3 are preferably inserted in a suitable rier arms.

grip handle G having the usual ferrule 7, and locked therein againsthaving their tips S turned outwardly as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2of the drawings. This construction prevents the turning o-f the frame inthe handle, and renders the device more stable than it would beotherwise. lt will also be obvious that without this construction, theconstant application of pressure on the carrier end of the frame wouldsoon break or bend the same at the point where it joins the handle.

Specially referring to the carrier arms 5, it will be observed that thesame are designed to carry two rollers at different elevations, oneroller 9 being a printing roller and the other roller 10 being an inkingroller. Tn other words, the portions 5EL of the arms 5 form bearings forthe removable axle pin 11 of the printing roller 9, while the laterallyoffset portions 5b provide bearings for the removable axle pin 12 of theinking roller 10. The said printing roller 9 is of any suitableconstruction, though usually made of wood, and having upon its outercylindrical face a rubber 0r equivalent covering 13 upon which is formedsome suitable wording or design, depending upon whether or not thedevice is used for canceling postage stamps or for postmarking. Thisroller 9 may be preferably described as a movable printing roller, sinceits axle pin 11 is journaled in the elliptical obliquely disposed slots14: in the ends 5a of the car- The inclined plane a of the slots 14intersects the longitudinal vertical plane Z) of the axis 12 of theroller 10 beyond the side of the frame F, opposite the said roller 10 asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. At this point, it may be noted thatthe roller 10 is rotatably mounted, but not capable of bodily movementin any direction in the frame. That is, it has a fixed location, in thesense that it is not bodily movable in the frame like 9. Thisarrangement of printing and inking rollers permits the former to beautomatically forced into and out of Contact with the inking surface l5of felt or similar material of the latter, whose cylindrical body ispreferably of the same material as the printing roller 9. l/Vith furtherreference to the removable axle pins 11 and 12 of the rollers 9 and 10respectively, it will be observed from Fig. 1 that the same may belocked in the carrier arms 5 by means of 'ashers 16 and cotter vpins 17in the usual' well-known manner. Thus, they are quickly removable andreplaceable when the occasion demands, though secu-rely held in positionwhen the device is in use.

From the foregoing description it is be-v lieved to be apparent that thetwo rollers are so mounted in the frame that the printing roller ismovable in an oblique plane,

withdrawal by the printing roller -1 ithat the many practical advantagesof the invention will be iitsutility as a hand device for cancelingneeds replenishing.

. that the axle 11 of the ,ed in a laterally oifset position with i tionto the printing roller, ;vice when inverted for 3 will direct theprinting roller .f out of contact with the inking `not for this roller.i of the slots to the ends of the slots which will take the and not givea i T claim:

ing roller is out of contact with the inking roller when the device isdrawn backward on the working stroke, as shown in Fig. 3, since thepressure applied to the handle causes the axle pin 11 to rise to theends of the slots 14 which are`farthest away from the axle of the roller10.

I The device can be drawn backward any number of times to bring theprinting roller into play, or until the ink on the stamp In the lattercase it is only necessary to push the device forward with little or nopressure on the handle so printing roller falls 14 which arenearprinting roller conto the ends of the slots est the axle 12 and theytacts with the inking roller, as shown in Fig. 2. To resupply theoffset inking roller `with inking fluid, the entire device is in-`verted thereby causing said roller to asl sume the lowermost position,the stamp roller as shown in vthe same can be rolled over `*face or pad18. ll5 of the roller 10 to absorb fresh inking fluid without removingit from the frame,

that is, below Fig. t, so that an inked sur- This will permit the feltwould be necessary to do if it were particular arrangement of the Owingto the plane of inclination 14, the stamp roller 9 will fall which itsame farthest away from the inking roller 10, when the device isinverted and the said latter' roller absorbing ink.` Thus the stampEdoes not become supplied with ink during the replenishing operation.This is animportant feature, as it may often hap-pen that i a film offresh ink will remain on the surface of the roller 10 for a short time,so that if the roller 9y did Contact therewith at this time, the stamp13 would become clogged clear imprint.

Without `fu-rtlier description, it is thought 11oI readily apparent, andthat irregular mailmatter will also be evident.

11,5.v 1. A reversible lmail marker comprising a supporting frame havingobliquely disposed slots, a printing roller having its axle supportingframe having obliquely disposed slots and lateral-ly offset portions, a

printing roller having its axle mounted for tree movement in theobliquely disposed 13o slots, and a rotatable inking roller having theinkng roller when the letter is lower- 10 its axle journaled in thelaterally offset pormost for reinking purposes.

tions of the frame to thereby dispose the In testimony whereof Ihereunto affix my printing roller in a fixed location at one signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

side of the plane of the printing roller, OLIVER H SMITH said printingroller being adapted to automatically move into and out of ContactVitnesses:

with the inking roller when the latter is up- E. H. MGLAOHLEN, permost,and to remain out of Contact with ELSIE C. SMALL.

copies ot this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner o! Patents Washington. D. C.

